Attachment for arm-chair



y 1965 J. l. NATHAN ETAL ATTACHMENT FOR ARM-CHAIR Filed Jan. 31, 1963 FIG. 2

FIG.4

A 0 M N OHA 3 TTI. AB NU W .T.. .\4 5T m m mm F JR Y. m B

ATTOR u sy United States Patent 3,185,113 ATTACHMENT FOR ARM-CHAIR Jacques I. Nathan, 4400 Allan Drive, and Robert M. Tubiana, 868 Park Ave., both of Baltimore, Md. Filed Jan. 31, 1963, Ser. No; 255,399 1 Claim. (Cl. 10847) The present invention relates to an article of manufacture in the form of a holding means for supports of various types including serving and/ or utility trays having means associated therewith for securing the support or tray to the arm of a chair, sofa or similar piece of furniture.

Normally, a support or tray when being used to support various articles by one sitting in a chair is either balanced on the lap or on the chair arm, this is always precarious, particularly when the support or tray is carrying small articles or glasses of liquid and it is with the thought of providing more sturdiness to the support or tray that the present article has been developed.

The principal object 'of the invention being to provide a support or tray that may be easily and quickly attached to the arm of an arm-chair.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the support or tray will remain reasonably sturdy during its use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and safe operation of the working parts.

While several objects of the invention have been set forth other objects, uses and advantages will be more apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed, the same consists in its novel construction, combination and arrangement of its several parts shown in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of a utility tray attached to the arm of a conventional arm-chair.

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the tray.

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the tray.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along line 66 of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is an end view FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional of FIGURE 4.

In describing the article and its operation, like reference numerals are used to point out like and similar parts throughout the several views.

While the present article of manufacture is shown in the form of a tray, particularly designed for supporting containers for food and refreshments, it is not limited thereto. The tray may be substituted for any other design, such as, a fiat rigid support which may be used as a working, or writing table, etc. As specifically illustrated the article comprises a tray 10 having an upper surface 10 and a bottom surface 10". The bottom surface is preferably covered with a substantially soft and pliable cover 12, such as foam rubber, which is adhesively held in contact with the bottom 10".

Secured to the bottom of the tray 10 are oppositely disposed gripping element assemblies. These gripping element assemblies are in the form of rectangularly bent rods together with a hinge member as shown in FIG- URES 3 and 4. The rectangular form of the element 16 is larger than the rectangular form of the gripping element 14 in order that the element 14 may be placed within the area occupied by the rectangle formed by the of the tray as shown in view taken along line 88 element 16. This allows both holding elements to lie adjacent the bottom surface 10" of the tray and in substantially the same plane with each other and parallel with the bottom of the tray.

The gripping elements each have one of their rectangular sides hingedly secured adjacent the bottom surface of the tray. The gripping element 14 is hingedly attached to the bottom of the tray and generally to one side of the center thereof by a suitable fixture 18, the details of which are shown in FIGURES 4 to 8.

The gripping element 16 is hingedly attached to the bottom of the tray by a fixture 20 which is diametrically opposite the fixture 14 and is spaced therefrom and secured to the bottom of the tray preferably on the opposite side of the center of the tray. The hinge elements of these gripping and holding elements are preferably on parallel axes so that they move in planes whose axis are parallel to each as their free ends are moved outwardly from the bottom surface 10" of the tray about their hinged ends toward a perpendicular position with the bottom surface of the tray.

While the gripping elements are shown attached directly to the bottom of the tray they may be attached to a separate base member, which in turn may be attached to a tray, table or other type of support. It is also not necessary that the corresponding gripping elements he on each side of the center line of the tray or support to which they are atttached. However, they are spaced apart at a distance to allow their engagement with the chair arm.

The means for giving the gripping elements their resiliency for urging the ends thereof opposite the hinged end toward the bottom of the tray, is best shown in FIG- URE 4. The gripping element 14 is shown with ends 14' extending a short distance within the fixture 18 which is shown to be a housing or hollow tube. Through the ends 14' of the gripping element 14 are apertures 22 and 24 perpendicular to the axis of the portions 14'. Extending between the inner ends 14" of the end portions 14, is a coiled spring 26. The spring 26 is wound in 0pposite directions from its center 26' outwardly toward the short ends 14" of the gripping element 14. The spring 26 is provided with bent ends 28 and 29 extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the portions 14' of the gripping element 14 and are adapted to extend through the apertures 22 and 24 as a means for engaging the ends 14' of the gripping element. The center portion 26" of the spring is extended longitudinally and is adapted to engage a lip 18 of the fixture 18, as shown best in FIG- URES 4 and 8. A portion of the fixture 18 is extended and flattened at each end thereof as shown at 27 and 27 which is secured to the support or tray by spot welding, as shown at 30 and 32 in FIGURE 4, or by rivets, gluing or any other suitable means.

In order to give the gripping element portion 14' a suit able bearing with the tubular fixture 18, it is provided with bushings 34 and 36 having slots 34 and 36' respectively, which may be slipped over the end portion 14' of the gripping element 14 before inserting the ends 28 and 29 of the spring 26 into the apertures 22 and 24. The bushings 34 and 36 are also provided with apertures 34" and 36" of such size as to receive the ends 28 and 29 after they have passed through the apertures 22 and 24 of the gripping element for locking the sleeve thereto.

The portion of the gripping elements beyond the hinge may be covered in whole or in part with plastic or rubber tubing as shown at 40 and 42 in FIGURES 1 and 3 to offer a better grip in moving the gripping elements and for adhering to the chair arm.

The structure of the opposite gripping element assem- -tom surface of the support .or

'place. substantially the same as bly designated by the gripping element 16 is substantially the same as shown by the assembly containing the gripping element 14 with the exception that gripping element 16 is slightly larger than gripping element 14 in order that the smaller element 14 may lie within the area occupied by the larger, and therefore it is deemed not necessaryto duplicate its description. This arrangement enables both gripping elements to lie fiat against the bottray and substantially within the same plane when in their normal resting The spring tension on the gripping element 16 is that on gripping element.14 to give both gripping elements substantially the same pressure against opposite sides of the chair arm.

Whilethe moving means for the gripping elements is shown in-the form of the coil spring 26 and completely enclosed within the tubular fixture 18, it may be of any suitable construction that would give substantially the same results.

The invention having thus been clearly illustrated and particularly described in the foregoing specification, the

scope of the invention 18 defined in the appended claim.

We claim:

An article of manufacture comprising in combination:

(a) a rigidportable support including a substantially flat bottom surface;

(b) two separate oppositely disposed loop-like gripping elements, each formed from a single continuous rod having a closed end and an open end opposite the closed end;

(c) one. of the loop-1ike gripping elements being smaller than the other and adapted to lie within'the area outlined by the larger loop-like gripping elementand in the same plane therewith adjacent the bottom surface of the support;

(') two separate oppositely disposed engaging members attached to the bottom surface of the support adapted to engage the'open ends of the respective gripping elements to form a hinge for hingedly attaching the gripping elements to the'bottorn surface of the support;

(2) the hinge of the smaller gripping element being positioned within the. confines of the area defined by the larger gripping element and adjacent the closed end of the larger gripping element;

(f) means cooperating between the loop-likegripping elements adjacent their open ends and the means engaging the open end of the gripping elements for resiliently holding the two gripping elements in the same plane adjacent the bottom of the support, the resilient means having such range as to provide for the gripping element to take various gripping positions when the closed ends of the elements are rotated about their hinged ends out'of contact with the bottom surface of the support;

whereby, the smaller gripping element lies within the same area bound by the larger gripping element on the bottom of the support and are out of contact with each other in all positions.

References Cited .by theExaminer UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,501,580 3/50 Reid 297-194 X 2,663,603 12/53 Newman 108-43 2,669,495 2/54 Foote '297-194X 2,686,701 8/ 54 M anczur 108-157 2,692,174 10/ 54 Whitehead 108-157 2,697,018 12/54 Georgides 108-43 2,770,514 11/56 'Idso 108-43 2,783,109 2/57 Frey 108-43 2,787,507 4/57 Powers 108-43 2,797,973 7/57 Culpepper 108-157 FOREIGN PATENTS 321,141 10/29 Great Britain.

FRANK B. SHERRY, Prima-ry Examiner. 

